This website is now obsolete because of being extinguished by horrible wikispaces. Please go to http://edbodmer.com for a much improved website.
This page includes videos and a file that can be used to convert many PDF files to Excel. The conversion from PDF to Excel are geared to financial modelling applications. For example, the PDF to Excel macros were initially specifically designed to convert financial statements to excel format. The PDF to Excel macro addresses different types of problems that can arise when copying from PDF to Excel usinng different sets of macros. Unlike other PDF to Excel programs that you can purchase, all of the macros are provided on an open source basis and of course there is no charge. When using the PDF tool, copy and paste special as unicode text. Also the the read pdf file is geared for efficiently working with financial statements where you do not have to download a pdf file, but you can take it directly from the intenet.
If the read pdf is not working from firefox, it may work better using Google Crome and then pasting with unicode text (sorry about this).
An video demonstrating how to take your bank statements and convert them to excel is shown below: The videos in the table below address a whole lot of different things that can happen if you try to copy PDF files into Excel. Many can be solved with the macros that are included in the attached file. Other problems with reading PDF to excel can be solved with the "WORD" method as described in one of the videos. Another problem of locked pdf files can be addressed with an odd technique of uploading the files to google drive.
Comments about converting alternative files from PDF to Excel
Converting PDF to Excel is a process that depends on the type of format that appears in excel from copying the pdf file, whether the pdf file is locked,
and whether the copying is directly from the internet or from a downloaded file that is read into acrobat. The following is possible:
1. If the copied data is in a single unformatted column (maybe 80%-90% of the time)
In this case the pdf can be copied into excel and the macro in the file below can be run. This is whether the pdf is copied directly from the internet or
whether the file is downloaded and then read into acrobat. An example of what happens when you copy from the pdf to excel in this typical case is show below:
In this typical case the pdf can be copied into excel and the macro in the PDF_to_Excel file below can be run. This is whether the pdf is copied directly from the internet or
whether the file is downloaded and then read into acrobat. The result is illustrated below:
2. If the copied data is split into separate rows
In this case the pdf may be copied into a WORD file which can the be copied into excel. The macro in the PDF_to_EXCEL file does not have to be run. This does not work when the pdf is
copied directly from the internet. Instead the file must be downloaded and then read into acrobat. An example of what happens when the data is read into excel without first being read
into WORD is show below:
In this case the pdf must be downloaded and then read from acrobat. After copying the data into WORD and then copying the word table into excel, the result is illustrated below:
3. If the PDF file is locked with a password, there is trick you can do to get around the problem. This involves uploading the file into Google Drive. With the file uploaded, you can copy information to
excel. When you copy to to excel, the format is like number 1 above and there are blank lines. A macro is included in the PDF_to_EXCEL file that deletes blank lines to deal with this.
4. Sometimes, the PDF files that are read in have odd spaces inbetween numbers and spaces between the brackets. I have no idea why this sometimes happens and it is a real pain. The
PDF to Excel file has macros that "clean up" the numbers so that the macro discussed in step 1 can be used. The example below illustrates a corrupted file that must be fixed:
This website is now obsolete because of being extinguished by horrible wikispaces. Please go to http://edbodmer.com for a much improved website.
This page includes videos and a file that can be used to convert many PDF files to Excel. The conversion from PDF to Excel are geared to financial modelling applications. For example, the PDF to Excel macros were initially specifically designed to convert financial statements to excel format. The PDF to Excel macro addresses different types of problems that can arise when copying from PDF to Excel usinng different sets of macros. Unlike other PDF to Excel programs that you can purchase, all of the macros are provided on an open source basis and of course there is no charge. When using the PDF tool, copy and paste special as unicode text. Also the the read pdf file is geared for efficiently working with financial statements where you do not have to download a pdf file, but you can take it directly from the intenet.
If the read pdf is not working from firefox, it may work better using Google Crome and then pasting with unicode text (sorry about this).
An video demonstrating how to take your bank statements and convert them to excel is shown below:
The videos in the table below address a whole lot of different things that can happen if you try to copy PDF files into Excel. Many can be solved with the macros that are included in the attached file. Other problems with reading PDF to excel can be solved with the "WORD" method as described in one of the videos. Another problem of locked pdf files can be addressed with an odd technique of uploading the files to google drive.
The PDF to Excel videos are summarised below. To watch the video, just click on the link
Comments about converting alternative files from PDF to Excel
Converting PDF to Excel is a process that depends on the type of format that appears in excel from copying the pdf file, whether the pdf file is locked,
and whether the copying is directly from the internet or from a downloaded file that is read into acrobat. The following is possible:
1. If the copied data is in a single unformatted column (maybe 80%-90% of the time)
In this case the pdf can be copied into excel and the macro in the file below can be run. This is whether the pdf is copied directly from the internet or
whether the file is downloaded and then read into acrobat. An example of what happens when you copy from the pdf to excel in this typical case is show below:
In this typical case the pdf can be copied into excel and the macro in the PDF_to_Excel file below can be run. This is whether the pdf is copied directly from the internet or
whether the file is downloaded and then read into acrobat. The result is illustrated below:
2. If the copied data is split into separate rows
In this case the pdf may be copied into a WORD file which can the be copied into excel. The macro in the PDF_to_EXCEL file does not have to be run. This does not work when the pdf is
copied directly from the internet. Instead the file must be downloaded and then read into acrobat. An example of what happens when the data is read into excel without first being read
into WORD is show below:
In this case the pdf must be downloaded and then read from acrobat. After copying the data into WORD and then copying the word table into excel, the result is illustrated below:
3. If the PDF file is locked with a password, there is trick you can do to get around the problem. This involves uploading the file into Google Drive. With the file uploaded, you can copy information to
excel. When you copy to to excel, the format is like number 1 above and there are blank lines. A macro is included in the PDF_to_EXCEL file that deletes blank lines to deal with this.
4. Sometimes, the PDF files that are read in have odd spaces inbetween numbers and spaces between the brackets. I have no idea why this sometimes happens and it is a real pain. The
PDF to Excel file has macros that "clean up" the numbers so that the macro discussed in step 1 can be used. The example below illustrates a corrupted file that must be fixed:
Example Files Related to PDF to Excel Transfers
Files Related to PDF to Excel Tranfers